Red Rain
by Iliya Moroumetz
Summary: Only a thin veneer of civility separates the man from the monster inside all of us.


**Notes**: I am taking some liberties the canon and it should be noted that the rating is due to some not-nice language, semi-graphic depictions of death, and descriptive violence. You have been warned. This was also written in 2009.

* * *

In darkness, two people sat opposite of each other in front of a board with pieces designating their respective pawns.

At one side, Valia, queen of the World of Dreams, looked at her only pawn, secretly marveling at its efficiency at not only progressing as far as it had by itself. With little to no help, it had advanced far into enemy territory.

At the opposing end, Rougles, the King of the World of Nightmares, watched with silent horror as one by one, his pieces were being decimated by Valia's single pawn. To say that the fight was one-sided would have been a cruel understatement.

To a casual observer, it would appear that they were playing a simple game of strategy. In reality, they were spectators to how they were using the people of their respective sides in a conflict, taking place even as they sat.

Valia's pawn, a young girl by the name of Yuko Aso, had shown remarkable resilience in not only pushing back the invasion of her world, but taking the fight to Rougles' own forces, one at a time. And one by one, she had defeated Rougles' generals and had taken precious artifacts from them, valuable gems that bestowed great power upon its wielder.

Though victory was coming easily for Valia, she knew every single one of them were unjust. It was the World of Nightmares that had invaded Earth and not the World of Dreams. For reasons beyond the comprehension of Rougles, Valia had opted to become the representative of Earth's 'chosen' hero.

Rougles would have laughed out loud at Valia had she told him that. Valia was as manipulative as she was beautiful. Her seemingly iris-less eyes could see things that few ever could hope for. The Future, the soul of those she spoke with, everything. Even with its limits, Valia still knew how best to use her powers for her own benefit, yet she was still loved with an almost fanatical devotion by her people. More likely than not, the poor girl was duped into this little game of theirs.

The way Rougles saw it; she had tricked the human girl, Yuko, into retrieving the Phantasm Jewels for herself. Perhaps she told the girl they once belonged to her, and gave a pretext about how both the girl's world and Valia's were in danger. It was the perfect way to conscript a foolish child into doing her dirty work.

The Jewels were forged in the World of Nightmares and were meant to stay that way. However, through Valia's mechanization, she would not only upset the balance of the existence of their three worlds, but doom the World of Nightmares to oblivion. And Valia would not blink an eye at the complete extinction of an entire world of people.

* * *

Yuko wiped her sweat-covered forehead with the sleeve of her jumpsuit, after removing the gauntlet, and sighed in exhaustion. She had been in this humid forest for nearly three days, away from the camp she and two companions had made on their way to Rougles' castle. Shadowy assailants kidnapped her new friends and she had been tracking them as best she could, not really having any skill to do so.

The clouds above her rumbled with malignancy, driving her anxiety of her benefactors even higher. She needed to find them soon otherwise the rain would fall and she was in no condition to fight in such harsh weather.

The armor on her person had grown with each successive victory against Rougles' generals from a simple light blue jumpsuit, gold half-plate, and a red scarf into a beautifully crafted and near impenetrable suit of armor. Its ornate design suggested something of a great history behind it, but Yuko felt anything but pride in her current state.

In the midst of an earthquake, she found herself not only armed with a sword that seemed to control her rather than the other way around, but involved in a conflict that was far larger than she had initially imagined.

At first, she thought it was a standard invasion for whatever reason some uptight ruler would give. However, with every passing day in this world, and after seeing the almost disparate state of its people, she started to understand, though still could not stand idly by and let her own home become a colony of another world's.

In several villages and towns, it was the same story. The crops were failing, the animals were dying, and less children were being born every year. It was almost painful to think of how the people were able to live.

She considered the powerful magical gems that adorned her sword and armor. Each one came from one of Rougles' generals and when she had taken possession of each one, their memories were forced into hers, making every victory more hollow and unjust than the last. Each one of them had their reasons for supporting Rougles, and more often than not, they were doing it for their people and not for themselves. The thought of what she was doing was making her sick to her stomach.

Pushing another low branch out of the way, she found the path that she had strayed from earlier that day and resumed her forced march. Another thunder crack boomed overhead as the clouds made the already dreary sky all the darker. She also had to be careful of her footing, because there were cliffs nearby that lead to rapids at the base, far below.

The instant she felt a drop on the top of her head, between the pieces of her head gear, she looked to the sky and sighed. Luck just wasn't with her today. She put out her hand and let a few drops fall into her bared left hand. She was about to continue when she noticed the stain on her hand. The few drops she had caught were not like the usual rain from her own world. It was red. An eerie shade of red that made it look like her hand had been cut.

"Red rain..." she whispered. It was the dream that had been haunting her for weeks before this ordeal began. All she could discern was that she was standing amid shadows, the air was thick with something, and the rain was falling. The color of red was the only thing she could plainly see.

That woman, Valia, would not elaborate on it, despite Yuko's passionate pleads for answers. The queen of the other world simply told her it was hers to learn from. The memory of her 'benefactor' made the frown on her face grow as she pushed forward. She didn't like being coerced into something she had no idea about.

Hearing a rustling ahead, she readied her sword out, ready to charge. In three weeks, the constant surge of adrenaline had left her ready to fight more than anything else, since it seemed everything in this world was out to get her. Not that she couldn't blame them.

"It's about time you showed up!" a familiar voice said from the other end of the clearing in front of her. She dashed forward knowing, and dreading, who it was going to be. They had met earlier and it had not been the reunion she had initially hoped.

Yuko skid to a halt on a patch of grass and looked upward to see the only person she did not want to see. Reiko Kirishima. Her best friend for nearly six years. Though a rather tenuous friendship was shared between them, despite their differing personalities, they had always looked past it to form a stronger bond. Recent events, however, had brought all that into question.

Sitting on a branch, with a rather coy smile, Reiko leaned backward and with the agility of a gymnast, landed with nary a sound to be heard. She too wore a white jumpsuit, now getting stained by the rain like Yuko's own, and a full-plate of armor quite similar to her own, only colored black.

Pulling her elaborate sword out of its sheath, Reiko stabbed it into the ground and leaned on it as though it were a cane. "Didn't think you'd survive. Shame on me." There was little humor in her voice and the disdain was more than clear.

Yuko's frown remained steadfast as she retorted, "Yeah, shame on you. I'm not too keen on dying."

Reiko snorted in derision. "Everyone gets theirs sooner or later. The good guys that die first, after all."

"You didn't answer my question from the last time. Why are you doing this?" Yuko said, feeling her patience thin out and bringing the subject back to where she felt it necessary.

Reiko soon flashed a frown of her own as her tone soon matched her countenance. "You never could take a hint, could you? Besides, aren't you worried about your... friends?" Reiko gestured upward above them.

When Yuko looked up, her eyes widened in horror at the sight. The man and woman that had risked all they could to guide her, and she would have brought them with her back to Earth to get away from this dying world, we now hanging lifeless from their ankles. The various slashes and stabs throughout their bodies suggested they had been tortured viciously.

A smug grin appeared on Reiko's face when Yuko discovered who was above, "gotta admit. These animals lasted a lot longer than I thought they would. Though, it was kind of annoying hearing them scream so much, but what can you do?"

Yuko's breathing grew rapid as the horror of what she had both seen and heard. Her 'best friend' had been the one that had abducted Yuko's benefactors and had mercilessly tortured them until death. Yuko couldn't find her voice. She was finding it hard to stand as she mentally apologized to her new friends. She wanted to take them away from this place, away from this nightmare of a world and maybe to another chance. And now, they were gone. They had shown her kindness and had saved her life on more than one occasion.

Her breathing soon became more guttural as she returned her gaze to a confident Reiko, who almost appeared to have wanted this response.

Unperturbed, Reiko only smirked and said, "Life's a bitch, ain't it?"

Yuko didn't respond. Instead, her face contorted in a mask of rage and anger that made her appear less human. With no warning, she dashed forward, raised her sword, and swung with all her might. She hit air as Reiko leaned backward, dodged the swing, and used Yuko's momentum against her to send her into a tree.

With the wind knocked out of her, Yuko struggled to get up as Reiko clicked her tongue in contempt. "My goodness, such a temper, Yu-chan. And you wondered why the other girls kept picking on you."

"Shut up!" Yuko growled with what little air she had as she too stood up.

Reiko gave a scornful laugh, "what are you gonna do? Run me through? Disembowel me? You don't have the guts to do that."

A friend. That was Reiko was. The only problem was that Reiko wasn't really acting like the friend Yuko had known. This was someone else. Someone else that hated her, someone that spread gossip behind her back, someone that would kick her down when she wasn't looking. This was not Reiko Kirishima. This was someone else. Someone she could fight. Someone she could kill.

Yuko raised her sword arm and with a deceptively faster swing than she let on, just barely missed a surprised Reiko. Knowing she had her foe on the run, Yuko followed her relentlessly as the adrenaline ran through her blood unchecked.

* * *

"Mother," an elegant voice asked Valia from behind. Without paying any heed to the newcomer, both Valia and Rougles knew who it was. With a face eerily familiar to Yuko's and with a mane of hair of a lighter shade that reached to the floor, Valia's daughter, Valna, walked in on the game between herself and her opponent.

When the princess' eyes locked on Rougles, a sneer started to develop as she asked with poorly disguised disgust, "Mother, what reason have you with this riffraff?"

Watching the board carefully, Valia whispered, "It is none of your concern, Valna."

Determined to make it her concern, Valna watched the battle between their champions and said, "Ah, those peasants from that backwater world? To think that anything good came from that place and judging from the board, Lord Rougles, the spectacle has been bloody, I take it?"

Rougles looked through his golden mask to the smug face of Valia's offspring, which some rumored was replaced with a devil. As beautiful as her mother was, the blackened abscess which comprised her heart made her more Valia's own. Granted, Valia seemed aware of her daughter's fouler attributes, but did little, if anything, to stop her. There was nothing virtuous about them.

"It is as your mother stated," Rougles said curtly, "it's none of your concern."

Valna only smiled like a python cornering a rabbit, "Oho, my lord. It appears that you are in error. Since when are you in any position to tell me what to do?"

The Queen's attention turned from the board to her daughter and said with thinning patience, "Enough. Your business is done here. Now be gone, daughter, otherwise you will incur my wrath."

The younger woman turned back to her mother and as their eyes met, Rougles could feel the tension in the room growing thicker with every passing second. It appeared that there was no love lost between the two wicked rulers and to see one perish would only see the demise of the lesser of two evils.

Valna, knowing the power her mother wielded, conceded. "As you wish, mother." With that, she turned to where she had entered, but not without giving Rougles one last poisoned glare and departed.

When both were sure Valna was no longer with them, Rougles spoke, "such an irreverent child."

Returning to the board, Valia said calmly, "however, she has the power to back her words. She has been learning to become the next queen since she became aware of herself."

Rougles snorted, "And yet, she still lacks the heart which consists of those that serve their people."

Her eyes thinned, "she is arrogant, yes. It is because she has confidence in her ability to control everyone and everything around her."

He was surprised at the description. "Sounds like a tyrant in the making. Will there be anything to dissuade her from this?"

The blind queen shook her head. "No. I have seen her future and have seen nothing that would change her now."

Rougles was unconvinced, knowing that Valia could see so little when she had been known to see so much. Almost sensing his doubt, she continued, "You are correct. If things remain as they are now, then nothing will change her. She will grow into a tyrant and bring forth suffering to not only my world, but our champions' world as well."

"You do not seem troubled by it," Rougles noted.

His foe nodded as she continued, "Because I have seen the fate dealt her, along with other possible ones. She does not know this, nor will she. Fortunately, neither will our champions." Both returned their eyes to the battle at hand, growing fiercer with every swipe as both Yuko and Reiko's fury grew beyond their control.

* * *

The exhaustion in both was starting to become more apparent as not only the red rain continued to beat them down, but it also seemed to make their weapons and armor heavier. Nevertheless, the continued to fight with all the rage they could muster and during one stalemate, Reiko snarled into Yuko's face, "You know something? I always hated you. Always showing me up, always better than me! I hated it!"

Yuko clenched her teeth and forced her blade further against Reiko's, "guess, you can't get everything with money, can you?"

Reiko amid heavy breaths, pushed back equally as hard, as she spat back venomously, "Of course. Not like you, Miss 'Ass-kissing, Dick-sucking' Perfect!" Reiko tossed their blades aside, knocking Yuko off balance and freed her empty fist to send it right into Yuko's face.

Yuko tried to keep her balance and her eyes open, but by the time she could see anything, Reiko's metal-clad shin had nearly collided with her face yet again. She took the blow and rolled backward into another tree.

Between deep breaths, Reiko wiped the sweat, her hair, and the rain out of her eyes. "Heart's not really in it, eh? I thought you had more fight than this. Or maybe there is something where I'm actually better than you." Her sword felt much heavier as she leaned upon it to rest momentarily as Yuko struggled to get up.

Like Reiko, Yuko wiped the blood out of her face and glared to her opponent. "Maybe lording over other people's the only thing you can do."

Reiko laughed, despite her lack of breath, "You have no idea how right you are. You see, I know you got the other gems and once I take them off your rotting carcass, I'm gonna be running things."

Using her sword as leverage, Yuko pulled herself to her feet, staggered, and said scornfully, "Bet your master won't be too happy to hear about that."

Yuko's 'friend' rolled her eyes, "Rougles isn't stupid. He knows that I'm planning on double crossing him. It's just that you and I are part of some stupid twist of fate or whatever. I'm just using it to my advantage. I've always wanted it all and now I have the chance to take it."

Yuko spit out some of the excess saliva, mixed with blood, out and sarcastically said, "Well, aren't you the fine human being?"

Reiko chuckled again, raised her arm and summoned a sphere of light that rapidly grew larger. "Better that than what you'll be." Before the other could formulate a reply, she threw it with all her might, destroying all the trees, rocks, and earth that were in its way.

Yuko raised her other arm and a shield, large enough to protect her lithe frame, grew from the gauntlet. However, it wasn't enough as the light from Reiko's attack hit her with such overwhelming kinetic force, that she literally flew off her feet and off the edge of a nearby valley. Yuko couldn't control her descent as she tumbled down to the river at the base and landed in the water.

Walking to the edge, Reiko saw her friend float downstream and with an expressionless face, figured Yuko was still alive and would come again. If that was the case, Reiko would be waiting.

* * *

Several minutes later, Yuko's soaked hands emerged from the water and grasped onto the less jagged rocks on the river bank. With what little strength she had left, she pulled herself over the edge, gasping for air, and eventually rolled onto the bank and on her back.

Her armor had been damaged heavily and there were several cuts along her arms and legs, which left blood seeping into her jumpsuit. Along with all that, her sword was gone.

Rolling to her knees, she hid her face beneath her forearms and caught her breath.

Reiko, her 'best friend' had tried to kill her. She knew she felt betrayed before, but this was something beyond any feelings of anguish she felt. It left her feeling angry. Very angry. She thought Reiko was supposed to be her friend. How could she? The thought made Yuko soon start sobbing.

Pushing herself upright, ignoring the stinging in her limbs, she looked to the sky and screamed. It was too much to bear for her right now and she wanted out. She would have given anything to get back at Reiko and escape from this nightmare.

When she opened her eyes, her pupils suddenly dilated and she felt her throat constricting as veins grew to unhealthy sizes across the skin of her neck and face. She grabbed her neck, trying to get air into her lungs as she felt an unbearable burning sensation within.

* * *

Back in the Darkness, both Valia and Rougles beheld what occurred with no visible expression.

"What's the meaning of this?" Rougles asked, noticing the unbalancing of forces around Yuko.

Valia responded plainly, "To wield the sword of Valis means one's heart must be balanced between Dark and Light. That balance is imperative above all, as per the words of my ancestors."

He inquired calmly, "And what would happen should that balance be lost?"

The sightless queen's eyes narrowed as she whispered ominously, "There are forces within us all that should never be toyed with. To abandon that balance is to unleash those forces. And with such power, the relationship changes and the wielder becomes the slave to the will of the beast within."

Rougles looked back to the image of Yuko in agony and felt as though he were staring at his own death from far away.

* * *

Rolling on the ground, Yuko screamed as she felt her insides being torn apart, though they were still intact. As she tried to breathe, the sound became deeper, more guttural. She dug her hand into the ground, to feel anything besides the sensation of the bones in her hands changing. However, the metamorphosis continued to spread through her hands, up her arms and to the rest of her body. When she had reached her threshold of pain, she had no more air to scream as she felt an overpowering hunger send her into darkness.

* * *

Near the higher reaches of the trees, a singular figure swung from one branch to another with a strong lash, almost enjoying the dismal weather around her.

Cham, after landing on the ground with nothing more than a small splash from the rain water gathered, removed the hood of her cloak and noticed the signs of a struggle that had taken place nearby. Placing the bladed lash in her sleeve, she took a quick glance around the area to ensure she was alone.

There were no foreign smells, save for the area where the fight had taken place. There was steam coming from several of the slash marks left in the trees. Yet, what bothered her was the lack of local wildlife.

"Char," she said to no one, "the spirits of the wild aren't here."

From her back, an ethereal figure that appeared very much like Cham emerged and with hollow eyes, was able to assess the surroundings in a way her twin could not.

Sounding like distorted echo, Char whispered, _"...there is evil nearby..."_

Kneeling at a patch of grass with discolored leaves, Cham wiped the discolored liquid off of the plant, sniffed it. She scrunched her face in disgust as she took a length of cloth out of her cloak and wiped the digit clean. Cursed blood, infested with unstable and dark magic was stomach-wrenching to her.

"It could still be nearby," the living twin said as she took her lash out with an almost predatory smile, "up for a hunt?"

The dead twin, on the other hand, did not share the shame enthusiasm as her living counterpart. _"The evil is near. It is powerful. It hungers. The spirits and the beasts flee from it. We should flee."_

Frowning, Cham instead swung her lash up on one of the higher branches, climbed as fast as she could and followed the faint traces of the stench which gradually grew the closer she got to the river.

_"Do not go,"_ the spirit twin whispered.

"Sorry, Char, but I feel like hunting. I just hope that it's more amusing than the usual fare," the living twin shot back.

_"No. Do not go. We must flee,"_ Char persisted.

"If you're so insistent on not seeing the scary monster, then..." she was about to continue berating her soul-bound sister when a blood curdling scream caused her to stop on one of the last trees in the forest, bordering the river.

Looking through the heavy mist, she noticed a humanoid figure stand up. From her perspective, it appeared to be a woman not much younger than herself. The woman staggered this way and that and Cham's hand involuntarily went to her face to somehow block out the same stench she had found earlier.

She was about to proceed and ask the visitor if there was something wrong when the stranger threw back her head and let loose a similar roar to the one she had heard not a moment before. Though Cham could not see everything, she could see that the woman's form was beginning to change as sharp protrusions burst from her shoulders and back.

_"Run!"_ Char voice, once a whisper, now grew to a desperate plea.

However, Cham felt her legs paralyzed as she saw the woman grow in size and grow even more grotesque in appearance.

_"Run!"_ Char begged again.

Char had heard stories about these kinds of beings. Given to their darkest natures, they become hideous creatures that are distorted by physical manifestations of their hate. As such, they also became that which the beholder feared the most.

Run!, she had tried to tell her legs, but they would not listen as her breathing grew more labored and hurried, wanting to let the fear go, but without any hope of escape.

When the woman had stopped changing, the hideous beast that now took her place reared to its full eight feet height, took one sniff in the air, and turned towards Cham and Char's location. For an instant, Char could see, through the gloom, the two patches of pitch black that should have been her eyes.

_"RUN!"_ Char screamed and with that, the paralysis in Cham's legs vanished. Ignoring the pain that would come, she leaped to the ground and broke into a heated run, concentrating on somehow leaving this thing behind her.

Cham's legs burned with heat as she ran. Scared to death to look behind at what was following her, fearing that those black orbs would be the last thing she would see.

For every leap and jump through foliage and shrub, she heard the thundering of something large and heavy catching up with her. Cham's breath roared in her ears, hoping it would drown out the sound of whatever was chasing her.

When the sound of crushing earth appeared right behind her, Cham, against her better judgment, turned her head, only to see something swing towards her and she suddenly lost sensation of the ground. Propelled at great speeds, she struggled to get some equilibrium as her flight was interrupted by the trunk of a large tree, pain replacing her disorientation.

So terrified was Cham, that her voice was silenced as she watched the creature lumber towards her. Due to the night, the heavy mist from the rain, and the agony running through her veins, she could only see the outline of the monster, save for the darkness that composed its eyes.

Even if Cham could move under her own power, she would still be helpless before this thing that seemed to hold her in its sway of influence. No manner of beast she had hunted before ever wielded this kind of fear and it seemed that this creature would be the cause of her untimely demise. She wanted to tell the creature to stay away. The stench of death it gave was choking her, made her nauseous, and caused tears to well up in her eyes.

"...please..." she muttered weakly, somehow hoping that it would leave her alone.

The creature, which no longer looked like the young woman a few moments earlier, brought its hideous face near Cham's. The latter, knowing the end was near, clamped her eyes shut and failed to control the quiver in her lower lip. She didn't want to die, not like this.

She heard creature took a deep breath through its misshapen nose, for whatever reason. Then, it reared up to its full height and roared once more. As she tried to shut out the piercing screech, she felt a rush of air as the beast dashed into the other direction.

Cham's eyes fluttered open to see the creature vanish in the distance. When she realized what had just happened, she started to sob. She had never been so scared in her whole life and not even the monster's departure could ease her worries. Her hands were still trembling as she slowly pulled herself to a sitting position against the tree and continued to weep. It would be hours before she would be able to move out of this forest and back to her home.

* * *

Sitting on a stump with her hands on the grip of her sword, Reiko ignored the remaining droplets of red rain that soaked her to the bone. She maintained her breathing to regain her strength for the time her foe would return. Looking to the distance, where she heard something she could not place, she narrowed her eyes at the shape of something emerging from the mists.

For a second, Reiko thought it was one of the many huge and lumbering beasts that seemed to dot this land, but upon blinking, she recognized the form of her friend, stumbling in her general direction. Standing up, she took note of the ragged and almost disparate state of her foe, she tightened her grip on her weapon. Something was not right.

Not wasting any words, Reiko charged towards the seemingly disoriented Yuko. It would end with just one clean stab through the neck and Reiko would finally get what was coming to her. No quarter had been given, so no would be received, not even with one she considered her best friend.

She raised the point of her sword and with great precision, thrust the tip of the blade forward. She either expected Yuko to either dodge the attack or use what remained of her gauntlet to deflect her attack another way.

She did neither. In an instant, Yuko's forearm moved deliberately to stab her through her forearm, move it away, and grasp Reiko's hand in a clammy and chilling deathgrip.

Not knowing where Yuko had gotten this strength, she tried to pull away in vain. Below, she saw Yuko's smile grow ever larger, past the limits of human anatomy would allow, as Yuko spoke in an inhumanly deep voice, "...feeeeeeed..."

* * *

Very little could disturb Rougles, after knowing unrest and strife for most of his life. However, what he saw in the crystal between him and Valia was a reminder of parts of his world that were the least forgiving with regards to survival.

He wanted to turn away, leave, or destroy the crystal that was showing him that which was not meant for mortals like himself and Valia to behold. Be looked to his adversary to see that she too had turned away and shut her eyes in disgust and nausea, however, she knew what was happening and not even her sightless eyes could protect her from what was occurring.

"Did your foresight predict this as well?" Rougles asked scornfully.

Valia covered her eyes with her hand and said with shame, "Yes." He continued to stare at her and the events going on in the crystal as he heard her whisper, "what have I done?" It lead him to wonder what she meant by that, but felt that it was best left for another day. Now, on the other hand, answers from the one named Yuko were needed.

* * *

Yuko wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious. However, when she felt the stinging chill of the forest night around her, she last remembered emerging from the river and then... what had happened?

She tried to stand up, but her strength was gone, her body was sore, and she felt sick to her stomach.

"Hello?" she said to the air helplessly, hoping that someone would hear her. The rain had started to fall again, though not to the vicious intensity of earlier. Not wanting to be caught in it again, she moved against the intense pain her muscles felt when she rolled onto her stomach.

After she caught her breath, she noticed something on her hands. It was hard to see in the dark, so she brought one to her face and sniffed. It seemed metallic and it was still warm. At the edge of her vision, she noticed a trail of indiscernible objects leading to one of the larger nearby trees. That was when she found Reiko...

...or what was left of her.

Immediately, the bile in her throat raced to her gullet and with what strength she could muster, crawled to a nearby log, tossed herself onto it and promptly threw up.

Hysteria replaced fear as Yuko attempted to piece together the lost pieces of her recent memory, as she violently denied what she had just happened. It couldn't have happened. She tried to make sense of it all, but it was futile. The last thing she remembered was being on the river bank and then everything blacked out. She didn't do it!

"Unfortunate," a new voice said nearby. It seemed heavy and melancholy.

Weakly, she turned to see a figure in a gold mask and a dark blue cloak, kneeling by Reiko's remains, cradling the relatively untouched head of the corpse with his hand. Despite the screaming pain of her limbs, she was able to stand up and said with a moment of clarity.

"It's you... Rougles," she muttered through the rain.

The image turned to her and nodded slowly, "Yes. I am he." When he stood to his full height, he did not appear as menacing as one that towered over another would normally be. He appeared weary and apathetic to the world around him.

However, that did not douse the anger welling up in Yuko as she snarled with growing intensity, "You did this..."

The image regarded her quietly as he responded, "If you refer to the invasion of your world, then yes, I admit to it. However, what happened here was not my wish."

"LIAR!" Yuko screamed as she charged, trying to grasp his neck with her bloodied hands, but pass through the image and fell into the rain soaked ground as the specter hovered nearby.

With complete calm, Rougles said, "Think as you will, but, in the end, her blood now rests upon your hands."

Spitting out a mouthful of rainwater, she turned back to him and said bitterly, "You would have killed her anyway. You knew she was going to double cross you, right? That's a good a reason as any."

Valia's words about balance echoed in the back of his head, knowing that recent events had not only destroyed that balance, but the girl was in complete chaos. The power flowing out of her was becoming evident in the growing heat amidst the rain and soon enough, steam started to grow at her feet, though she seemed oblivious to it.

Rougles nodded, "The thought had occurred to me. Yet, it does not matter now."

The almost callous manner in which he responded only made the wrath in her eyes and voice all the more powerful. So consumed with her rage, she didn't notice a point grow from the palm of her hand, burst through the skin, and draw itself out until it became the very blade she had lost a short while earlier. On instinct, she grasped the sword handle and held it as though she had never lost it, despite being drenched in blood.

When she started advancing on him, completely oblivious to the fact that he was just an image, he asked quietly, "Why have you done this? Why have you gone so far to come to my realm, murder my generals, my people, and seek my life?"

The question stopped her and she seemed insulted that he would dare bring up the issue.

"Why? WHY?" she screamed in retaliation, "You're the one who invaded my home! Remember?"

Rougles did not appear offended as he nodded, "Yes. And I doubt you would believe me if I told you there was no alternative for my actions."

Yuko, though still heated, shrugged, "Why don't you try me? It's not like I'm entirely loyal to Valia anyway. She's the one that brought me here in the first place."

Knowing it was futile, considering recent events, Rougles answered, "You've seen my world. Bit by bit, it has been dying and more and more of my people perish with it. For us to appeal to Valia would be paramount to suicide. And your world, underdeveloped in magic as it was, would still never welcome us. Your own people fear the unknown with such paranoia that for us to attempt any kind of diplomacy would be met with suspicion and outright refusal. There was no other alternative."

With a scowl still etched on her face, Yuko shot back, "So, that makes it right to take my home? I don't think so. And now, I don't really care anymore. All I want is to see you dead and be done with this!"

Rougles almost sighed as he replied, "Far too much has already been lost for there to be any victor, or to forget."

The anger in her eyes returned in force, and when it had reached a threshold, she only turned the other way and ran in the general direction of the path she had been going since she arrived in the forest – towards his castle.

* * *

When Rougles had returned to the void where he and Valia had been conversing, she appeared tired and worn. She sat on the table on her arms, as though she were physically and mentally exhausted, in addition, her confidence was gone and the woman he had detested seemed replaced with someone else. Knowing this, he sat down again, and after a short while, he said, "Your champion, as well as mine, is dead." Valia could not refute his

words, for she too saw the complete entropy Yuko's spirit was now in. All was lost.

"I've seen more visions..." she said, looking to the crystal between them, where a veritable slaughter greeted their sight as Yuko, once again changing into the monstrosity from earlier, tore through the remainder of Rougles' forces.

"My death," Rougles said, not needing to wonder what his opponent would have said. Her nod only confirmed what he already knew. He stood from his seat and began to walk away, uttering a farewell beneath his voice.

"Rougles," Valia said, just before he would leave her presence.

"Yes?" he answered quietly without turning around.

"For what it is worth, I will pay for my crimes; for I have seen my own end as well," she whispered, as though on the verge of tears.

There was an audible silence as Rougles considered her words. Despite his knowledge of her character, or lack thereof, she had never told him falsehoods in all the years they had known each other.

Before he returned to his castle, and his doom, he said calmly, "Perhaps the Gods do know of justice after all."

Valia nodded again, not at all offended at his words as he left her alone in the darkness, watching the horrible violence occur in front of her. Worse yet, she had yet another vision involving Yuko...

Valia saw a hall way with blinding light and she heard footsteps from the other direction. She turned to see Yuko, surrounded by several tall shadows, most likely other people, but it was Yuko's visage that caught her attention.

The young woman's wrists and ankles were in chains. Her attire was plain and drab. There was fresh blood upon her hands and Yuko appeared indifferent to the cause of it. The scowl which adorned her face was set as though her face, like her heart, was made of stone. Two of the shadows were holding her arms fast, making sure she would not try to escape.

Valia watched helplessly as Yuko was taken to a black door at the end of the hallway. The door was opened quietly, and with no ceremony or coercion, she walked into the door. When the door closed, it rumbled with an ear splitting boom and Valia found herself inside the same room with her champion.

She saw the younger woman sitting in the darkness, both in body and mind. She was trapped and there was no escape.

In complete despair, Valia, realizing fully the implications of everything she done, fell to her knees and wept.

The End

All things in the story are property of Telenet of Japan.


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